


tales of ember island

by battoad



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender, Batman - All Media Types, DCU
Genre: Angst, AtLA AU, Batfam Big Bang, Batfamily (DCU) Feels, Damian Wayne Needs a Hug, Gen, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Inspired by Avatar: The Last Airbender, the batfam needs a break
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-02
Updated: 2020-10-02
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:46:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,548
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26763052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/battoad/pseuds/battoad
Summary: (avatar: the last airbender au)The batfam kids are sent on “forced” a vacation to Ember Island by their father, Fire Lord Bruce Wayne to try to get them to have fun and. They attempt to have a normal relaxing vacation and instead end up learning a lot about themselves and each other. (I did make bruce the fire lord but he is nice here I promise)
Relationships: Stephanie Brown & Cassandra Cain & Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Damian Wayne
Kudos: 19





	tales of ember island

“I’m so excited to spend the week at Ember Island! It’s going to be great to hang out on the beach and just...do nothing!” Dick said, smiling as he looked out to the ocean. 

Dear God, did they need a break, even though no one in the family would admit it. They were all crushed by the weight of being heirs to the world’s largest empire, one that has ruled for so many years; the world without them seems impossible; it feels like an alternate universe. Hell, maybe they were like team Avatar, like heroes of some sort in that version of their lives.

Their father, none other than the Fire Lord himself, has decided that he has enough of his children overworking themselves, especially after catching Tim fast asleep, dozens of cups of black tea next to him as he 

Damian rolled his eyes at that remark because  _ honestly _ : “Doing nothing is a complete waste of our time! We’re being sent away on a  _ forced _ vacation. I feel like a child.” 

“Lighten up, Dami, you are a child,” Cassandra signed from her seat on the boat; although Damian’s words entertained her, she knew herself that feeling he was talking about. Vacations are fun for most families, but hers? Good luck.

Cassandra meticulously threw a knife at Damian to grab his attention, knowing that he will catch it when she does, and she was right. “And even if Father does need to meet with the League alone without anyone else around. We can look at it in a more...positive note.” she signed, catching the knife back from Damian without even looking up.

“Right,” Steph mumbled, “your family owns a house on the island, don’t they?” 

“We used to come every summer when we were kids,” Dick said, tearing his gaze away from the view. “It was a long time ago. We haven’t been in quite some time.” He looked sad for just a moment, before catching himself and forcing some pep into his voice

“But we’re here now! Let’s try to have some fun while we can.”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Their royally small boat docked at the Yue marina after four long hours at sea; palm trees, uncommon in most areas in the fire nation, were moved lazily by the wind. The clouds were gentle, moving slower than they ever have, and taking different shapes across the light blue sky. 

The Houses on the beach were built by the best architects and designers that the fire nation had to offer, each more impressive than the last. Yet the one owned by the Waynes was smaller and more discreet, their father never found a liking in flaunting their wealth everywhere they went, mostly since he was the Fire Lord. 

\--

Damian stands tall, as he pictures a prince would, and walks alongside Richard into the dock, where they meet two short women in matching kimonos, a golden crown, glistening in the afternoon sun, was pinned in the middle of their dress. Both had large straw hats and appeared old and wise in a way, or maybe they were just old; Damian couldn’t yet decide.

“Welcome to Ember Island, Kids” 

They spoke as one, looking in excitement at the children standing in front of them.

Of course, they were met with both unimpressed and frazzled looks, since while Damian knew that father’s estate was smaller, he didn’t expect a house… this small.

Tim and Steph glanced at each other for a moment, although both looked away quickly, and followed suit as they all walked towards the house.

Damian was processing his environment as they walked, the path twisting and intertwining with rocks, shells, and more sand.

A small crab made its way across, walking as if there was nothing of the going on.

Of course, he was unhappy to be there, but not for the reasons the others thought. Sure, he was a child, and sure, he did hate doing nothing, but it was more of the realization that no one wanted him there, that they all simply tolerated him.

And barely, Damian knew it. Drake was the one they preferred, and Dick was the one they wanted. Even Jason was able to find his way through the maze that is the Wayne family and he, Damian, was the only biological kid.

He supposed that it didn’t matter, but having the ability to claim some sort of part in their family was the only thing he needed; he desperately clung to the idea that since he was blood, he was  _ wanted _ , and maybe he was not, yet that shouldn’t-

“Dami?  **Damian,** we’re at the door. Are you alright?” Dick asked, a somewhat concerned look on his face

Was he alright? The obvious answer was  _ hell  _ no; he felt like he would pass out from all of the thoughts swimming in his head. But for now, and for the sake of the family, he had to keep it together.  **_For Richard, for father_ ** , he needed to have his act put together, and who was a more convincing actor than the tired heir of Bruce Wayne?

\-----

The twins walked in first, followed by the rest of the family. They were removing their straw hats and proceeded to hang them on a tall light green stand near the door. The house was covered in large paintings, decorations, lace, and banners from floor to ceiling. The color palette stayed in the awful pastel pink and green; seeing the wall was impossible with everything going on, even the floor had an unfortunate seashell pattern that looked... Interesting, to say the least. 

“It truly smells like old lady in here,” said Damian, scrunching up his nose in disgust.

Although typical, his statement earned him a glare from every family member, but Jason, being the person he is, laughed and added a “gee, I wonder why,” As he walked around the room. Jason noticed that none of the family members were exactly happy to be there, and damn, it isn’t as if he was exactly jumping on the opportunity to be stuck with his siblings (and Steph, he remembered). Yet he can’t help but think that this might be his way of finally belonging in a family that he was so estranged from.

Steph was wandering around until she came up to a painting of two young girls, posing in matching mustard yellow bathing suits with ponytails higher than any building Fire Lord Bruce has ever dreamt of building in their nation.

“Oooh! And who are these two beautiful women?” Steph said in awe, eyeing the picture as she walked over to the rest of the family.

“Can’t you tell?” the women asked, posing the same way the girls did in the painting. 

“It’s Li and me!” said one, earning a non-discrete gag from Damian, who looked as if he was seasick, or like Dick after letting Jason fly Appa that one morning. They also got muffled laughs from around the room, the rest of the family caring a little more about the two women’s feelings.

Dick threw himself on one of the beds, “Oh! I love this seashell bedspread; it looks lovely”

Damian jumped on the bed, too, squashing dick in the process.

“Richard, are you kidding me? It looked like the beach threw up all over it,” he said, completely ignoring his older brother’s protest as he rolled around the queen-sized bed. At this point, it was more Damian purposefully sitting exactly on Richard’s back, but they were both having fun, and Dick thinks there was even a hint of a smile on Damian’s face.

“ We know you’re all upset that your father forced you all to come here this weekend, but Ember Island is a magical place,” said Lo, looking at her sister with a mischievous smile.

“Keep an open mind,” Li added with a wink, giving her sister a matching look.

“And it can help you understand yourselves and each other,” said Lo, picking up a smooth coal from the table in front of her. “The beach has a special way of smoothing over the most ragged edges.”

Damian yawned, her words not affecting him as much as they should. He was tired, they all were, and there is no way in hell some old ladies giving them a speech about bonding would wake anyone up.

“And now, children,” exclaimed Li, “let’s hit the beach!”

And then, even though they thought it could not get worse than whatever the hell that speech was, it got worse.

The two women ripped off their kimonos to reveal the ridiculous bathing suits any of them have ever seen in their lives. They were seashell patterned, with an exciting choice of neon pink and green. Dick, bless him, moved faster than Bruce’s consultant Barry Allen, and covered Damian’s eyes at the speed of a man on a mission. Cass and Steph simply looked at each other, dragged Jason and Tim along, and the rest quickly followed everyone else.

“This never happened, and we shall never speak of this moment again,” said Dick, his face dead serious as he eyed the rest of the family. 

“Speak of what?” signed Cass, smirking at the thought of the entire ordeal.

“Exactly,” nodded Dick, and with that, they were off to the beach. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading the first chapter of my fic! i wrote this funky atla au for the batfam big bang! you should check it out on tumblr for incredible fics and art, and i'm on tumblr as battoad!


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